Memory lane time today. David wanted to see progress on his new (old) Beetle so I said that he could go to Hanwell if we could stop in my beloved Southall on the way back.

For those of you who don't know Greater London, Southall is a suburb 12 miles from Central London that is the UKs home to the Asian community. It was also the very first place where I owned a home, nineteen years ago.

I desperately wanted a home of my own after a lifetime of moving about and never staying in one place long enough to catch breath. My parents suggested I moved back to their house (almost rent free - thanks Mum & Dad) and saved hard to buy a place. I did three jobs for a year - my full-time job as a Market Researcher along with two part-time jobs, one on Saturdays in a record shop and four nights a week in the pub. BUT every time I looked at house prices they'd gone up a bit more and were still just out of my reach. I'd go back and save a bit more but it was never enough to be able to afford anything. I cast my net wider and looked at Southall where two flats were for sale, the upstairs and downstairs of the property in the photo.

They were the same price as each other - the downstairs one was in better repair and had a bathroom, the upstairs one bigger and lighter but no bathroom, gas light fittings, no proper wiring and only an Ascot heater for water in the kitchen. They were all I could afford and I knew that in another three months even these run down places would be out of my reach. I bit the bullet, swallowed hard, spent £17,500 on the upstairs flat.

I spent three months with my Dad, every weekend, working there - we put in a bathroom, wiring, a new fitted kitchen and then I moved in and decorated the whole place. Without his willingness to help me on this colossal scale I'd have never been able to do what we did. I learned plumbing, how to rewire, I reeked of woodworm fluid and brick dust every night and I loved every inch of that place. IT WAS MINE!

My little sister, Jan lived there with me for two years until I changed my job and had to move to Oxford. We had a ball. It was party time every weekend. By complete coincidence the chap who bought downstairs had been in my class at school and the three of us enjoyed the best of times together.

I loved the fact that the town never slept - long before Tesco and Sainsbury had 24 hour shopping, I could decide I fancied beans on toast at 10pm and pop to the corner shop to buy all the necessary stuff to make that happen.

The two windows on the right were my room and the two on the left, Jan's.

I loved living in the Asian community - at the time I think the stats were 90% Asian, 5% Afro Caribbean and 5% Caucasian population in the town. In fact, at times I was ashamed to be white - especially when the National Front marched through the town past the end of my road in the middle of the night trying to intimidate my neighbours and friends. Mostly though, I was happy to be a part of this lovely colourful community to the west of London. I visit the town twice a year or so to stock up with spices and other gorgeous ingredients for cooking with so today's visit was a bonus.